Last July I was an early supporter of the campaign to Save the UK Film Council. Over 55,000 people on Facebook alone signed up to oppose the closure. Of course the Conservative led government did not listen and pushed ahead without consulting. I received a quick but dismissive response to my representations at the time. I read today in the Independent a report which confirmed my concerns at the time.

The House of Commons cross party Culture Media and Sport Select Committee, headed by Conservative John Whittingdale MP criticised the winding up of the UK Film Council, which it stated was “handled very badly by the Government”.

The Independent says:

The report’s conclusion said: “We would not expect a decision with such significant implications for the film industry to be sprung on the UK Film Council with little discussion or consultation. “It is extremely regrettable that a film-maker of the stature of Tim Bevan has, as a result, decided to take no further part in Government-sponsored initiatives.”

There is a consistent pattern here. Cuts are made rapidly for ideological reasons not with consideration for what is best for the British economy and best for British society.

The campaign to Save the UK Film Council was lost to an ideologically driven government that did not listen. This message needs to be widely circulated for future campaigns as Britain cuts further and faster than any other comparable country.

3 responses to “Government Cuts Without Discussion or Consultation”

The government has to take hard decisions. Consultation is just an excuse to hide behind – Labour never took any of the hard decisions it should’ve taken. Although Alistair Darling was honest enough to come up with a budget that atleast tried (belatedly) to address the issue of the deficit.

Please be honest – how much money are we already paying in interest to service our debt? Under Labour, we would’ve borrowed even more. Do you even know how many more nurses and policemen we could employ with that interest? Do you think borrowing is free?

The cause of the deficit was the credit crunch, not excessive expenditure, so these massive cuts swipe at symptoms whie aggravating the cause. There are alternatives, in which those who have caused the crunch shoulder their share of the burden, but this would be anathema to the Tory establishment.

The Labour Party opposes every cut. They seem to be in denial about the extent of our collective debts. They are so vast that if every house in the UK (from the humblest studio flats to the largest Stately Homes) were to be sold the money raised would not be great enough to cover our financial obligations.

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A pro-European feminist of a pacifist disposition, I have represented the capital in the European Parliament since 2000.

News and views on London, the EU, women’s rights and, of course, the European Parliament will all be covered on my website.